1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to tanks holding pressurized gasses such as propane and more specifically to tool for removing valves from such tanks.
2. Background Information
All around the United States and throughout the world, hundreds of thousands of people use compressed gas stored in metal, usually steel, tanks. Perhaps the most common of these uses is the use of “bottled” propane in familiar steel tanks. Propane is used for a variety of purposes including barbecue grills, powering forklifts, and as a heating and cooking fuel for recreational vehicles. Although propane tanks are referenced in the following descriptions, the pressure tank valve socket of the instant invention could be easily adapted for use with a variety of pressure tank types.
In the United States and in many other countries, the construction of propane tanks and valves and the filling of such tanks is highly regulated. One consequence of such regulations is that the valve on a propane tank is usually protected by a metal guard which surrounds much of the valve. In most cases, such valves are threaded and screw into a receptor on the tank. In addition, most valves are manufactured of a relatively soft metal such as brass to insure that all threaded fastenings fit tightly. Periodically propane tank valves must be removed for repair or replacement. Because of the guard which surrounds the valve and because the valve is made of soft material; it is very difficult, if not impossible, to get a conventional wrench into a position in which it may be used to remove the valve without causing damage to the valve.
The invention presented in the present application is believed to solve, in a simple and effective fashion, problems which have long plagued persons attempting to remove a valve from any of a variety of compressed gas tanks such as propane tanks: a inexpensive and effective tool for easily removing the valve from such a tank without damaging the valve.
The ideal pressure tank valve socket should provide a tool for easily and efficiently removing (or attaching) a valve from a pressurized gas tank. The ideal pressure tank valve socket should also be configured to avoid damage to the valve of such a tank. The ideal pressure tank valve socket should also be simple, inexpensive, rugged, and easy to use.